Drogheda Port Company’s Chief Executive and the Chair of its Board are to be invited to attend a meeting of Louth County Council on the future of the former dredger, Hebble Sand which remains idle in the centre of the port town.

The 757-ton Hebble Sand has been berthed at the town’s North Quay for around a decade. The dredger which is now more than 60 years old, used to operate as a self-propelled grab-hopper dredger out of neighbouring Dundalk but originally had a career in the UK.

Local Independent councillor, Kevin Callan made the proposal at the Louth County Council’s monthly meeting.

Cllr Callan wants to raise the issue of the 47m Hebble Sand that partially sank while berthed in the River Boyne in 2022 but was subsequently re-floated.

He added that although action was taken, the Hebble Sand has not been removed, and members of the Borough District of Drogheda have been unable to get a representative of the Drogheda Port Company to attend their own monthly meeting.

LMFM News which reports on the story, also has an audio clip from the Councillor.

Afloat adds that Hebble Sand during its Irish career, carried out numerous contract assignments in ports throughout the island of Ireland.

Among the more high-profile projects was in the preparation prior to the installation in Dublin of the Samuel Beckett swing bridge which arrived by barge from The Netherlands and works in Belfast's Queens Quay on the Lagan close to the city-centre.

At more than half a century old, the Hebble Sand built in 1963 by Richard (Shipbuilders) of Lowestoft, England, who built the vessel for British Dredging. The grab-hopper was later used by Associated British Ports (ABP) to serve a network of ports.

An operation has begun as promised by the Drogheda Port Company on Monday, to stabilise the grab hopper-dredger Hebble Sand which having floundered, began to take on water and sink in the Co. Louth port last week.

At the site where the owners of the 59-year-old dredger and crews who from early on Wednesday morning at the port began to carry out remedial work on the ship.

To assist in carrying out the task, a crane has also been erected at the site. They will be pumping water out of the dredger into IBC’s and will be sending divers down to assess what repair has to be done.

Current Harbour Master Martin Donnelly was in attendance to oversee the operation, with his replacement Laurence Kirwan.

Further details of the operation reports the Drogheda Independent of the veteran vessel which has been idle at the port since 2014.

In Drogheda Port a dredger that's leaking fuel into the River Boyne is to be refloated and removed.

The 'Hebble Sand', which contains hundreds of litres of diesel, partly sank below the waterline last week after spending a decade in the port.

Louth County Council has told Independent councillor Kevin Callan that the vessel will be brought back to the surface tomorrow.

It will then be brought to a different location to be dismantled at a later date.

Councillor Callan says the leak will first have to be stemmed:

As LMFM's coverage includes an audio clip on comments made by the councillor. 

#DublinBay - A dredger docked in Dun Laoghaire Harbour just days before Christmas Day, remains in port due to space restrictions in neighbouring Dublin Port, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The hopper dredger Freeway which Afloat tracked upon arrival to Dublin Port in October, had carried out dredging works until ceasing operations for the festive season.

Freeway departed the capital and across Dublin Bay to arrive in Dun Laoghaire Harbour on 22 December, following permission sought from Dun Laoghaire Harbour to lay-up for the holiday period.

It is common prectice, Afloat adds for dredgers based in Dublin Port, to dock at the North Wall Quay Extension (next to the East-Link bridge) during dredging campaigns. The inaugural call of Irish Ferries giant newbuild cruiseferry W.B. Yeats however at 194m long has taken up a commanding presence along the North Wall. 

The lack of quay space on the North Wall for the 92m Freeway is also attributed in part to the long-term berthed Shingle. The 32m vessel has lain idle since detained more than four years ago.

By coincidence, both the dredger and cruiseferry are Cypriot flagged. On related note to ferries, the North Wall is where operator P&O Ferries use berths at Terminal 3. The linkspan coupled by the frequent ferries occupy the remaining length of the North Wall.

Since the W.B. Yeats has shifted berths to the North Wall, the cruiseferry had returned to Terminal 1 to undergo further berthing including trials at a nearby linkspan. The 1,800 passenger/1,200 vehicle cruiseferry is currently back at the North Wall, though further research reveals the new ship is to shift berths on New Year's Day.

The cruiseferry is to enter service next month, initially to Holyhead and from mid-March, connecting the capital to Cherbourg, France. 

As for the Freeway, it is scheduled to depart Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Wednesday. This will see the dredger return to Dublin Port to resume work.